The Fixer’s Manifesto gets a creative makeover

We feel lucky here at Sugru in that so many in our community are creative to the core. We thrive on your ideas and your can-do spirit, and we do our best to inspire others where we can.

We’ve been fans of the award-winning London based animation studio, Animade for a while, ever since they caught our attention with this beautiful short that made us think again about one of our favourite subjects here at Sugru - washing machines.

So when we got the opportunity to collaborate with them, we jumped at the chance!

This could be an awesome way to renew our commitment to championing a wider culture of fixing and inspire an even broader community of fixer’s across the globe. Together with Animade, we have created an animated version of our Fixer’s Manifesto to complement the text poster with a colourful one, (we still love the text only version, this is just a nice visual option for those who like that sort of thing!) featuring a series of short animations that capture the spirit of why fixing is good.

It was great fun working with them and we think the results speak for themselves - you can check out all of the animations over on our Fixer’s Manifesto page, and even download a free poster for yourself too.

We grabbed a coffee with Michael Davies, Senior Creative at Animade to find out what drives him.

What do you enjoy most about the creative process?For me, the most excitement I get is seeing that initial spark when your small drawing begins to become animated. Before all the gloss and effects are added to our animations here at Animade, there’s a point at the start when the design begins to take on the initial movement and adopt a particular character, mannerism and a life. It could be the small movement of an eye or the wag of an excited dog’s tail, so I would say I get the most enjoyment creatively in seeing that moment of inception.

How did you first get into animation?Since I was very small I’ve enjoyed making things and creating things. I used to stay late after school to practice drawing horses and cars with felt tips. Once I found out that I could make these cars and that horse move around in any world I could imagine, I was hooked on the idea of animation. Animade have a contagious passion for adding character to all of their projects, and it’s allowed that boyish passion of mine to continue and be part of fantastic and fun work.

What work are you most proud of?Probably still that drawing of the horse I did with my felt tips after school. It had the head of a flamboyant French pony and the body of a wild stallion. It was like an equestrian version of an eight-year-old me.

What other stuff inspires you and gets your creative juices flowing?I’m lucky enough to work with others who are always overflowing with new ideas and are talented in so many ways that I can just loiter behind someone’s desk for a while and feel inspired. When it comes to briefs, I like working with products and companies that are ambitious and ethical, and that’s why I really enjoyed getting involved with Sugru’s new manifesto.

What's been your most innovative Sugru fix?I like combining objects as well as just fixing things. I once cobbled together an iPhone stand so I could continue to binge-watch Netflix and eat an unnecessarily juicy nectarine over the kitchen sink.

Which part of the Fixer's Manifesto do you connect with most?Probably point 7. Embrace the stuff we already have. I love Sugru, not just for its practical use but for its creative potential. Who doesn’t want a lamp with a happy face on it...?

You can enjoy the awesome illustrations (and join the fixing revolution at the same time) by downloading, printing and displaying your own Fixer’s Manifesto with pride. And make sure you follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to see the full series of short animations that we’re sharing over the coming weeks.